Retail Intelligence

Everyone from pureplay retailers to physical stores can enter the Top Shop awards, says Greg Harford, Retail NZ's general manager for public affairs.

“The awards are about celebrating all that's good about the retail sector in New Zealand, at both a regional and national level,” he says.

"In 2017, the awards have been revamped to focus on what retailers do, rather than what they sell,” he says. “The 11 prestigious new awards focus on the overall customer experience, investment and people, visual merchandising and innovation. There's a special award for individuals who are training in retail, a People's Choice Award and an overall Supreme National award for the very best retailer.”

The last Top Shop Overall National Supreme Award was won by Specsavers Gisborne. Optometrist Nick Whittingham and dispensing optician Tania Richards, who ran the business together, attributed the win to the store’s customer service, which was achieved by a focus on staff training and teamwork.

Entries are grouped by region, before each entrant receives an in-store assessment to see if they measure up. Based on the results of this assessment, a shortlist of up to six entrants per category will be compiled, and then two finalists per category will be announced at regional events which run during June and July.

All finalists will be awarded travel and accommodation to attend the National Retail NZ Top Shop Awards ceremony in Auckland on September 7, and will also be in the running for the National Category Award and the Supreme Award.

The regions are: Otago/Southland; Canterbury; the top of the South Island; the lower North Island; Waikato/ Bay of Plenty and Auckland/ Northland.

Entries are now open on Retail NZ’s website. They close on March 17, and one entry fee allows retailers to enter up to three categories. The full list of categories is:

If we find you doing these things, your comments will be edited without recourse and you may be asked to go away and reconsider your actions.
We respect the right to free speech and anonymous comments. Don’t abuse the privilege.

I wrote a stunt journalism piece on how easy it is to be hacked in Idealog last year. In an ironic twist of events, I recently discovered I have actually been hacked, except this time through my Uber account to the tune of $800. Take a ride and see the problem with entrusting your confidential details to big, faceless corporations.

On Friday night, journalists from around the country gathered to celebrate excellence in their practice – and there was plenty on show, with 355 finalists across 68 categories. NZ Retail and The Register were awarded the prize for the Best Trade Publication and/or News Website.

Glossier is a cult beauty phenomenon that maintains exclusivity not through price but through scarcity. The Register and NZ Retail editor and associate publisher Sarah Dunn reports back from its New York showroom.

Gold Sponsors

Window Shopping

It’s the highlight of the festive season for many shoppers: the day when Auckland department store Smith and Caughey’s opens the curtains at the front of its store to reveal a tiny animated world that’s all about Christmas. The theme for 2017 is 'A Pirate’s Night Before Christmas.' If you've got or seen a great store or mall display, why not show it off on The Register? Just email a picture and a short explanation of the store to editor@theregister.co.nz